Mail-bag crane.



Patented June 3, I902. L. B. SWEETLAND.

MAIL BAG CRANE. (Appli catiqn filed Feb. 26,1902.

(NoMudel-J UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

LEROY B. SWEETLAND, OF HUNTINGTON, INDIANA.

MAIL-BAG CRANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,774, dated June 3, 1902. Application filed February 26, 1902. Serial No. 95,749. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEROY B. SWEETLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huntington, in the county of Huntington and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail Bag Cranes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mail-bag cranes; and the object of the same is to construct a crane the suspension-arms of which will hold a mail-bag far enough fromthe track to prevent injuring the engineer when leaning out of the cab and will be automatically released by the passing train to carry the bag around within reach of the catcher-arm on the mailcar.

The novel construction employed by me in carrying out my invention is fully described in this specification and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of my device set. Fig. 2 is a detail of the standard.

Like numerals of reference designate like parts in the different views of the drawings.

The numeral 1 designates a railroad-track,-

and located adjacent to the track 1 and rigidly secured to a support 2 is a mail-crane 3. The crane 3 comprises a hollow standard 4, a mast 5, a trigger mechanism 6, and means for securing the bag. The mast 5 is freely mounted in the standard 4: and bears a pin 7, which engages a V-shaped slot 8 in the stand-. ard and limits the movement of the mast. A sleeve 9 is rigidly mountedon the mast 5 and fits over the top of the standard to form a guide for the mast and hold it against wabbling and'prevent the rain and water freez-.

ing therein.

The trigger mechanism ,6 consists of an elbow-lever l0, bearing a weight 11 and arranged to operate a bolt 12,slidingly mounted in an aperture 13 in the standard 4. The lever 10 is fulcrumed in astandard 10 and has its short arm 1O extending upwardly and its long arm 10 extending almost horizontally. The weight 11 is adj ustably mounted on the long arm 10 of the lever. A trip 15 engages the outer end of the arm 10 and is located in position to be engaged by an arm on the engine. The trip 15 is L-shaped and has one a Vertical position.

arm pivoted, whilethe other arm is adapted to engage the lever-arm 10 There is an aperture 16 in the mast, which aperture is located to be engaged by the bolt 12 when the mast is in its'raised position, with the pin 7 engaging the upper end 8 of either branch of the slot 8.

The means for holding a mail-bag 16 consists of two arms 17 and 18. The arm 17 is the shorter ofthe two and is pivoted to a clip 19, embracing the mast. The arm 18 is pivoted intermediate its ends to a clip 20, embracing the top of the mast 5. The top of the mast limits the forward movement of the arm 18, and the rear end is heavier than the forward, so as to cause it to normally assume A fork 21 is mounted on the ends of each of the arms and serve as means for attaching the mail-bag 16. The weight of the rear end of the arm holds the bag stretched taut. v

There is an aperture 22 in the rear of the standard 4 to accommodate a setting-pin 23. The aperture 22 is located to register with an aperture 24 in the mast 5 when the said mast is in its raised position.

Suppose the track 1, as shown, extends north and south and the next mail-train is expected from the south. The pin 7 is grasped and the mast 5 simultaneously raised and rotated until the pin 7 engages the south arm of the V-shaped slot 8. The setting-pin 23 is then inserted in the apertures 22 and 24 and the mast 5 thereby held in its elevated position. The arm 17 is then raised and the arm 18 pulled down and the bag 16 engaged on the sides of the forks 21 nearest the track 1. The arms 17 and 18 will now point to the south.

The trigger-lever is then raised and the trip set to engage the long arm 10. The setting-pin 23 is then withdrawn, and the crane will be all ready for the train.

When the train comes along, an arm on the locomotive will engage the trip 15 and displace it, thereby releasing the arm 10 of the lever, which 'will'be carried down by the weight 11. This action will withdraw the bolt 12, release the mast 5, and permit the arms 17 and 18 to swing around by gravity to the north and extend at right angles to the track and hold the mail-bag 16 within reach of the ICO - track, means for holding said mast against a movement of rotation, said latter means being constructed to be operated by a passing train to release said mast and permit it to l catcher-arm on the mail-car. As soon as the bag 16 is detached the arms will drop. It should be noted that the arms 17 and 18 are always set to point in the direction the train is coming.

I do not wish to be limited as to details of construction, as these may be modified in many particulars without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mail-crane, the combination of a standard, a mast mounted to rotate in said standard and bearing arms constructed to support a mail-bag, means for rotating said mast, means for holding said mast against rotation, said last-mentioned means being constructed to be operated bya passing train to release said mast and permit it to rotate, and carry the mail-bag supported by said arms toward said train within reach of the catcher on the mail-car, substantially as described.

2. In a mail-crane, the combination with a standard, of a mast rotatably mounted on said standard and bearing arms constructed to support a mail-bag, means for rotating said mast from a position with its arms extending nearly parallel to the track into a position with its arms extending at right angles to the swing around with its arms at right angles to the track, substantially as described.

3. In a mail-crane, the combination of a standard having a V-shaped slot therein, a mast mounted in said standard and bearing a pin engaging said slot, arms on said mast for supporting a mail-bag, means for holding said mast against a movement of rotation, said means being arranged to be operated by a passing train to release said mast, to permit said arms to swing toward the said train to bring said bag into position to be engaged by the arm on the mail-car, substantially as described.

4. In a mail-crane, the combination with a standard having a V-shaped slot therein, of a mast rotatably mounted on said standard and bearing a pin engaging said slot, an elbowlever, a bolt pivoted to the short arm of said lever and arranged to engage an aperture in said mast to hold it against rotation, a trip engaging the long arm of said lever, said trip being located to be operated by a passing train to release said lever and said mast, and permit it to swing around to bring the bag within reach of the catcher-arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEROY B.- SWEETLAND. Witnesses:

JAMES C. BRANYAN, JAS. H. WILsoN. 

